Zabid
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How it came to be
Zabid, in the Tihama region of western Yemen, began as a village of the Asha'ir tribe. In 820 Ibn Ziyad, sent by the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun to put down a rebellion, founded the present town and the Ziyadid dynasty.
Zabid was capital of the Ziyadids, Najahids and Mahdids, and the capital of Yemen from the 13th to the 15th century. It reached its height under the Rasulids (1229-1454), and all 14 of its Rasulid-era buildings are madrasas. With about 86 mosques it has the highest concentration of mosques in Yemen, and the Great Mosque and the al-Asha'ir Mosque became centres of Islamic learning.
The round, walled town keeps four gates. It was inscribed in 1993, and in 2000, at the government's request, it was put on the danger list because of poor upkeep, after some 40% of its houses had been replaced by concrete buildings.
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